1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile machine for distributing and shaping ballast supporting a railroad track extending in a longitudinal direction, which comprises a machine frame supported by two undercarriages for mobility on the track in an operating direction, and a vertically adjustable ballast plow arranged below the machine frame between the undercarriages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The ballast regulator disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,651,587, dated Mar. 28, 1972, has two ballast plow halves respectively associated with the two rails of a railroad track. The ballast plow halves project from the front end of the machine frame and are vertically displaceable along a vertical guide so the plowshares extending across the entire track are individually adjustable along the respective track rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,160, dated Apr. 15, 1975, discloses a self-propelled ballast regulator whose machine frame is supported on the track by undercarriages and which carries a vertically adjustable ballast plow underneath an operator's cab between the two undercarriages. The ballast plow comprises ballast guiding plowshares in an X-formation and tunnel-shaped cover elements extending over the track rails. The plow has three ballast deflecting plates pivotal about a vertical axis at the center.
In the mobile ballast distributing and planing machine of U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,467, dated Jan. 27, 1970, two ballast plow halves associated with the track rails are linked to the rear of the machine frame by a parallelogram actuating mechanism. Each plow half is supported on the associated rail by a roller and is vertically adjustable.